The 2014 Pigott Entrepreneurship Lecture Series Takeaways

This year’s Pigott Entrepreneurship Lecture Series was presented by Kevin Daniels and Dr. Mike Powe. Titled “Sustainability, Global Change & Preservation: Rebuilding the Urban Community through Creative Entrepreneurship,” they explained how major cities can grow by spotlighting the historic features in neighborhoods instead of tearing them down. Specifically focusing on Seattle, the speakers highlighted the Pioneer Square neighborhood and how their projects to mix old and new buildings with residential and commercial use is making it a vibrant neighborhood, once again.

The first part of the lecture was delivered by Kevin Daniels, who is the President of Nitze-Stagen & Co. as well as Daniels Real Estate, LLC. Mr. Daniels, a ’79 School of Business Administration graduate and member of the Gonzaga University Board of Regents, focused largely on the projects he has done or is doing in Seattle, like the Starbucks Center and Union Station, where the renovation and reclamation of old buildings is making them the centerpiece of their area.

Dr. Todd Finkle, the Pigott Professor of Entrepreneurship, thought that the biggest takeaway for students should be “Listen to what [Kevin] Daniels was saying. His Gonzaga education made him well-rounded.” He further explained “those liberal arts classes he took, that focused on being a whole person and not just a business person gives him an advantage in the talks he delivers across the globe.” The lasting message of being a leader, whether in business or as an entrepreneur, requires being a whole person and is something all students can strive to be.

Dr. Mike Powe, who is a senior research manager at the Preservation Green Lab, focused on explaining the use of different types of data, and what the effects of combining old and new buildings are for a neighborhood. Dr. Powe showed statistics like cell phone usage at different hours of the day to show where people are most active. The evenings and late night scene showed that people spend their free time in areas that are a mix of old and new buildings. Through his research at the Green Lab, they were also able to show that in these areas there are more small business and jobs per square foot.

What students can learn and apply from these lectures is two-fold. The first lesson is that new doesn’t always mean better. By mixing new and old you can grow a city much faster, cheaper, and sustainably than just clearing out the old and building all new. The second is that by embracing and becoming a well-rounded and whole person, such that Gonzaga encourages you to be, puts you ahead on the path to success.

The entrepreneurship lecture is made possible through a permanent endowment established by the Pigott family to educate the next generation of global leaders.